


Remedy

by istanraven



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2019-12-07 19:01:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18238970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/istanraven/pseuds/istanraven
Summary: The only two people he loved in this god forsaken city had almost died today.It had been his fault.If he had only been there Alfred wouldn't be in a medical examiner’s office, fighting for his life.If he had only pushed Selina away when he had the chance, when she had said she didn't care that night in the Siren’s, then Bane wouldn’t have seen how important she was, that hurting her would get to him.She kept getting hurt, and he kept being the reason why.“Bruce?” Selina’s voice echoed across the empty street in front of the police station.





	1. Closure

Bruce watched as the sun slowly started to set, casting a red glow across the city, fit for the occasion of the day. Blood had been spilt. And it was his fault. Everything seemed to be his fault. The wind blew slightly, causing more of his curls to fall over his eyes. He didn’t bother to push it back, he didn’t bother to do anything besides stand on those police station steps and contemplate everything.

The only two people he loved in this god forsaken city had almost died today.

It had been his fault.

If he had only been there Alfred wouldn't be in a medical examiner’s office, fighting for his life. If he had only pushed Selina away when he had the chance, when she had said she didn't care that night in the Siren’s, then Bane wouldn’t have seen how important she was, that hurting her would get to him. 

She kept getting hurt, and he kept being the reason why.

“Bruce?” Selina’s voice echoed across the empty street in front of the police station.

Bruce flinched slightly, but didn’t acknowledge her in hopes she’d go back inside and he wouldn't have to face the reality of what he had to do.

“What are you doing out here alone?” She questioned, making her way towards him. “Just because he disappeared, doesn't mean he won't come back you know.” 

“I know, I just had to think.” He replies.

She was standing next to him now, silent, and he felt her gaze steadily on him. “I’m worried about Alfred too,” she sighed, “but he’s strong, he’ll push through like he always does.”

“I know.” 

He couldn’t do this to her anymore.

He couldn’t let her live in constant danger because of him.

He couldn’t do this.

“Selina.” He said, finally turned his head to look at her.

The light from the setting sun reflected on her face, turning her into something he thought only existed in dreams. She is truly and will always truly be the most beautiful person Bruce will ever know. She returned his gaze, staring straight back at him, a questioning look on her face.

“You almost died today.” He murmured.

Her eyebrows drawn together before she looked away.

“Nothing new.” She said, shrugging.

“Selina-”

“Bruce, I’m fine.” She reassured.

“Bane could’ve killed you.” He paused for a moment, feeling the impact of those words as memories from earlier that day flashed through his mind. 

Bane had her in his grasp, taunting Bruce, while she stared back at him. Not once did he see fear flash through her eyes until Bruce had been the one dodging a fist to the face, while she layed on the street, struggling to get back up after Bane had thrown her to the side. Bruce’s mind continued to replay the moment he thought he would lose her, after everything. The moment Bane had her head in between his hands, one more bit of pressure, he’d said, and he would’ve killed her. Selina could be dead right now, and it was because of him. Because Bane knew that Selina meant something to him.

Or rather, everything.

“Jeremiah shot you to get to me, you would be paralyzed had it not been for Ivy. Five pushed you out that window, because you wanted to save me. How many more times do I have to put your life in danger before whoever comes next finally succeeds?”

“Bruce.” She said, stepping closer to him, eyebrows furrowed.

“I can’t do this to you anymore.”

“What are you talking about? Can’t do what anymore?” Selina questioned.

“Let you continue to get hurt because of me.” 

Selina scoffs, before stepping even closer to him. 

“Don’t give yourself so much credit, I put myself in harms way everyday, Bruce. I chose to put myself in harms way because I know being your friend would come with consequences.” 

Bruce turned his head back towards the street, not wanting to look her in the eyes any longer. He knew his face would give away the fact that he desperately wanted to hold her and never let go, to make sure she never gets hurt again by anyone including himself. Maybe if things were different they could be happy together, maybe if they didn't have psychotic killers roaming their city they wouldn't have to worry about the other being murdered during a date. Maybe in another lifetime they could be normal. But nothing would ever be normal for them. 

That’s way Bruce had to leave her behind, leave all of this behind. He could never give her that protection she needs, he could never provide her with safety and a home, he could never provide her with any normalcy. She would always be in constant danger because of him. 

Would things have been easier for both of them if they’d never met? If Jim had not have brought Selina to Wayne Manor? Bruce quickly dismissed the thought. He would never be who he was today without her, he would have never experienced the inexplicable joy he felt seeing her happy. He wanted her to always be happy. Not smiling at him one moment then being shot by Jeremiah, bleeding out on the table, the next.

He heard her sharp intake of breath before she started talking again.

“I don’t understand why you always feel the need to protect me, I can take care of myself.” She insisted. “I don’t know why today was any different than the other times when I've gotten hurt. You’ve made no move to leave Gotham before, so why now?”

“Things are different now.” Bruce insisted. 

“Different how?” Selina questioned, her brows still creased out of anger.

Bruce didn't reply, he’s known the answer to this question for years, but to actually say it outloud. To make it a reality. He knew it’d end with selina walking away from him like the countless other times she has, or by some miracle she’d want to stay.

“Different how, Bruce?” Her voice echoed across the quiet street, making it sound louder than it already was. She sounded distant now, like she was trying to make her voice as still as possible to pull off the facade that she felt nothing.

The sun had completely set now, casting them into darkness. The only source of light was from a street lamp, barely flickering above them.

“You know Selina, you have to know.” 

“Do I?” 

“Selina-”

“I want to hear you say it.”

“What?”

“I want to hear you say it Bruce.” She insisted, almost taunting him, “but then again even if you did, I probably wouldn't believe you. That exact sentence is what my mother had said to me the night before I woke up to see she had packed up all her belongings and left without a second thought. She said those words as if they were supposed to mean something, but in the end they meant nothing, like they’ll mean nothing now.” 

She was breathing heavily now, a fire burning in her eyes, “So say it Bruce, say it.”

A drop of rain fell onto Bruce’s cheek and he didn't bother to wipe it away. She was waiting for his reply, a reply that he knew he couldn't give her. He had to leave her, that was the only way to keep her safe. He kept telling himself it was the only way. But the more he did, the more he started to not even believe himself. Rain started to fall heavier, drenched both of them in seconds, but neither made a move to get back inside. 

Bruce almost didn't notice the tear slip out of selina’s eye, masked by the rain drops falling on her face. She clenched her jaw before nodding slowly and turning her head, breaking their eye contact. 

“Have a nice life, Bruce Wayne.” She said before turning around, walking further and further away from Bruce and disappeared into the darkness of the streets.

In that moment, watching Selina walk away from him, Bruce felt his entire being crumble. The time when she had walked away before, after he’d told her she didn't care about him in the hospital, part of him knew it wasn't the end. 

This felt like it was.

This time it felt like he’d really lost her. 

In a sudden moment of sheer panic, he sprinted towards the direction she had walked in frantically yelling her name, hoping for any sign of her. Minutes passed, maybe hours, Bruce only felt like it had been an entire lifetime. He ran into an alley, furiously raking a hand through his curly hair. There was no way he was going to find her. She knew this city more than he did, if he hadn't found her by now, it meant she didn't want to be found. 

He’d really lost her. 

Unable to withstand the pain, he dropped down on his knees, calling her name one last time. The rain continued to cascade over him. But he didnt care. He didn’t care about anything but her. How was he foolish enough to believe that he could leave her behind, that he would be strong enough for that?

He heard a rattle above him and froze. Letting himself feel a glimmer of hope, he looked up to see a shadow disappear over onto the roof. 

She made that noise on purpose, she wanted him to find her.

Without a moment of hesitation, Bruce ran to the ladder, grabbing a hold of it and started his ascent up the building. His foot slipped on one of the railings, causing his heart rate to go quicker than it already was, before he regained his footing and kept climbing.

He finally reached the top, gripping the edge of the roof before pulling himself over. 

That’s when he saw her, standing on the ledge of the building, the wind blowing through her curly hair, her back to him.

Bruce slowly walked towards her, scared that any wrong move would cause her to disappear again. He pulled himself up onto the ledge, turning his head to look over at her, the rain wasn't able to cover the fact she was crying now. She wasn’t even bothering to hide it. Like she wasn’t afraid to be vulnerable in front of him now. He felt something break in him, seeing Selina so vulnerable was something Bruce barely got to see. Knowing that he was the one that hurt her, that he was the one to make her break, was destroying him. 

It was an act of pure desperation that caused Bruce to chose his next words, “Come with me.” He shouted, not sure that she had heard over the rain, until she slowly turned her head, staring at him like he’d just bent down on one knee and proposed. Her eyes feel back towards the street below, curls of her hair hung down, covering her face. 

“Bruce-” 

“I’m in love with you.” He yelled through the sound of the rain pounding onto the cement. 

Selina froze. 

It was like everything froze, except the rain that continued to fall around them, and the thick cloud of tension hanging over them after a sentence holding so much had finally been said. She remained silent staring at him now, her gaze felt as if it were seering a hole through him. But then she quickly looked away. He noticed her hands shaking slightly and he wanted to reach out but she folded her arms quickly before looking back up at him. 

“I have to let you go,” she said slowly, “I have to let you go with Alfred, leave this city, and figure things out. Figure yourself out.”

“What?” He questioned, walking closer to her. 

“I know, I know what I said. But I was only thinking about myself,” she said looking at him, “about how much it's going to hurt not seeing you, not being with you.” 

“Selina-”

“I understand that you feel that you need to leave, so go Bruce,” she insisted. “Just, promise me you’ll come back.”

He opened his mouth to retort but she held up a hand.

“Promise me, Bruce.”

“Selina, please.” He begged, stepping closer to her. She backed away and Bruce felt something shatter inside of him. 

“I’ve survived this long, I think I can manage until you come back.” She insisted. She tried to pull off a small smile but Bruce could see right through it. See that pain on her face, that pain that he felt coursing through his entire being. His entire world was caving in on him and he couldn't breath for a moment, realizing what Selina wanted him to do. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go, she was supposed to want him to stay. He desperately wanted her to tell him to stay. 

“Why?” He questioned, as he felt his own tear slip out onto his cheek. 

“Because,” she started, a slight waver in her words, “I wanted you to stay to prove that you meant those three words. But I need to let you go to prove to you that I mean mine.”

He froze for a moment, watching as she looking up at him, a look of pure anguish on her face mirroring Bruce’s. 

“I need to let you go.” He could see her visibly shaking now, he didn’t know if it was from the cold of the rain or the toll this way taking on the both of them.

It was then that Selina rushed towards him, grabbing the front of his jacket and pulled him towards her, crashing her lips against his. This wasn't like their other kisses, sweet moments shared between them during a wedding or on rooftop while they should've been down at a party. 

This was a moment of pure desperation and agony from two people whose lives have been filled with pain and their only remedy from that pain was each other. 

He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him, while he held her face with his hand. Bruce couldn't help but wonder, would this be the last time he held her, the last time he felt her lips against his, the last time he was even able to be with her? The rain continued to pour around them as they broke apart, breathing heavily. They staring at each other, trying to grasp at every last feeling and emotion they've ever felt for each other, before all that would be left was a memory.

Selina slowly backed away, and Bruce’s arms dropped back to his sides. His worst nightmare was becoming a reality, she had slipped through his fingers. She took one last look at him, the wind blowing her curls around her face, and bruce tried to really look at her, to memorize every little detail on her face so he could keep her image inside his mind. He was acting as if he would forget about her, hell, how could anyone forget Selina Kyle? 

“I promise.” He yelled, through the pounding rain around them. “I promise I’ll come back, I’ll always come back. You’ll always be my reason to.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Bruce.” 

And then she was gone.


	2. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He closed his eyes, breathing in the city air for a moment. He didn’t stop the grin now spread across his face, he didn’t even stop the joy filled laugh that came next. Turning his head to watch the sun continue to rise on a new day in Gotham, something awakened in Bruce in that moment, something that had been dormant for the past decade. 
> 
> Hope.

Bruce watched as the last man slumped to the ground before he let out a breath, the small cloud of vapor blowing up into the dark night. He let himself breath for a moment. Something he’d rarely been able to do since his return to Gotham a few days prior. This took a toll on him, what he had become and the responsibilities that had come along with it. Of course he’d known what he was coming back to, he knew everything that came along with accepting this role. 

Deep in thought he almost didn’t hear the small noise behind him. If he had even breathed any louder, he wouldn't have been able to detect it over the sounds of the city. 

He whirled around quickly, prepared to knock out another one of the men who’d stolen from the bank around the corner, but froze when what he saw wasn’t one of the men, but a woman.

He could barely see her through the shadows of the alley, but could somehow see her smile widening under the black mask she wore, covering most of her face. “I’ll just be taking these off your hands.” Then in one quick, fluid move, she’d leap up onto the fire escape and up the city hall before disappearing over the top, with the money in tow.

With the money.

Bruce quickly snapped out of his trance, before running after her. Landing on the roof, he spotted her standing by the ledge, her back towards him, looking over the city. She looked like she had made no move to even try to hide herself or the money.

It was like she had wanted him to come up and find her. 

He knew he should've ran towards her, he should've taken the money and turned whoever she was in to the GCPD. But something made him stand where he was and watch her. He’d never seen her on the streets during his time on them, but the way she moved, the way she was able to maneuver the alleys and fire escapes made him believe she had been out here for a while. From what he could see through the darkness, she was wearing all leather from her neck down to her boots, and Bruce let himself think about someone else that he’d known that used to dress like that. He let the thoughts dissipate before further analyzing the woman standing a few feet away from him. Along with the leather get up, she had two cat ears resting on top of her head, or maybe they were just goggles.

“So,” she hesitated for a moment before speaking again, “you’re this new masked vigilante, ridding crime off the streets of Gotham. Batman right?” She said, still facing away from him, he could sense the taunting tone to her voice. 

The wind slowly blew around them, the darkness looming overhead. Bruce hesitated for a moment, being referred to as his alter ego still felt odd, after all, he’d only been him for a few days.

He nodded before she realized she couldn't see him. “Why did you want me to follow you?” he asked slowly, watching as she turned around now, fully facing him. 

“Wanted to see you for myself. And you are truly a sight to behold.” She said, a smile on her face that Bruce knew meant everything but sincere. 

“Hand over the money, or I’ll take it myself. You chose.”

She let out a little laugh, devoid of any humor, before making her way slowly towards him. He felt himself make no move to retrieve the money, to do anything. Something about this woman intrigued him and terrified him at the same time. Something about her made him feel alive. He couldn't even begin to explain why. 

It was too dark for Bruce to fully see her face, at least the part that wasn’t covered by the mask. It was when she had gotten close enough to him where he could distinguish the features on her face that it was as if something snapped in her and she froze, the color draining from her face as if she’d just seen a ghost. Her eyes widened and flickered across Bruce’s face. He couldn't explain the fire burning through him, he couldn't explain the inexplicable need to be close to this woman. He couldn't explain anything because his entire mind felt as if it had shut down and he didn’t know why. 

Silence continued hang between them except for the occasional sound from a car horn on the street below.

“You kept your promise.” She finally spoke, breaking the tense silence. She sounded a bit distant, as if she was talking to herself mostly, than to him.

He frowned slightly, looking at her confused. 

Promise? 

She scoffed before shaking her head slightly, “you don’t remember.”

Suddenly she turned around, heading back to where she was standing early. Bruce watched as she picked up the bags of money, casting one last look at him over her shoulder before she leaped off the side of the building, disappearing into the night. 

Bruce shook his head after a moment, trying to figure out what had just happened. The masked woman’s exit oddly reminded him of someone else. He let his thoughts return to Selina, like they always did. Bruce had been in Gotham and hadn’t seen her for months, it was as if she had dropped off the face of the earth. 

Or maybe she just didn’t want to be found.   
Maybe she’s stopped caring about him and he’s been the fool that’s stayed in love with a girl despite not having seen her in years. Wasn’t he always the fool when matters involved Selina? He’d just let a criminal get away because he felt a small fraction of hope that it was her. 

“Damn it.” He murmured, before heading back towards Alfred’s car in the street of the alley below. 

Reaching the black car, he opened the back door before sliding inside. 

Alfred turned his head to look at Bruce from the front seat, “No success?”

Bruce pulled off his mask and hood before running a hand over his face before letting out a sigh. “They got away.” 

“You can’t get them all, Bruce.” Alfred said before starting the car, “Now hurry up and get changed back there, there’s people expecting you at that opening and you’re about two hours late, it’ll be morning when you finally decide to arrive.”

“I got held up longer than usual.” Bruce said as he began to pull off his suit and change into his other suit meant for public locations. “There was a woman.”

“A woman? I thought we’d only seen four men.” Alfred asked, pulling the car onto the street and heading towards the nicer part of the city. 

“I’m sure she was alone, she’d taken the money after I’d taken out the men.” Bruce said, struggling to tie his tie. 

“Someone you know?” Alfred asking, looking for a second at Bruce through the mirror.

“No.” 

“Bruce-”

“We’re here, we better head in before I become even later to my own event than I already am.” Bruce said quickly, desperate to change the subject. He stepped out of the car before heading across the street towards the light up building. Alfred appeared at his side before the stepped in through the doors.

A man quickly took their coats as they entered, and they walked in through the hall where everyone had gathered in the large space adorned with chandeliers hanging up above. Bruce had only been in the Wayne Tower once before to do last minute checks of everything before the opening. It was truly a sight to behold. Seeing it now, fully furnished and decorated.

Bruce took a quick glance over the room and spotted Alfred now talking to Doctor Thompkins and Jim. He made his way over, speaking to a few people on his way. Jim looked up from Alfred to Bruce before smiling.

“Bruce, it’s good to see you again.” 

“Likewise.” He said, smiling, before shaking his hand.

Alfred and Jim as well as Doctor Thompkins continued to talk, but their voices dissipated as Bruce focused on looking around the room. He usually couldn’t stand these types of events when he was younger, he would come for an hour and disappear with Alfred or Selina without any notice. Don’t get him wrong, he enjoyed conversation with a select few persons, but you can only go through a few glasses of champagne and dry conversations before you’ve had enough. 

A man walked by offering him a glass from a tray, he took it, then continued to watch as people walked through the crowds, some looked as if they were having the time of their lives while others looked as if they were dead on their feet, or maybe they were already hammered from that night’s drinks. 

He took a long sip from the cup before he noticed something in the crowd. He quickly scrambled the thought from his mind, not every woman with curly hair would be Selina. The quicker he accepted the fact that she was gone from his life, that he would never see her again, the better this would be. 

He wouldn't constantly be hoping to hear word from one of the people on the street about a girl with a whip. He wouldn’t constantly be hoping that she would climb in through his window and argue with him about nonsense. He wouldn’t constantly be comparing every single girl he talked to, to her. He wouldn’t constantly be thinking about her in every single aspect of his life like he had been for the past ten years away. He wouldn’t constantly need her as much as he did now, as much as he always would unless he decided to let go. He needed to let her go like she had let him go. That’s the only way he could be able to continue to live without her. 

Life always has to play a cruel trick on you, doesn’t it. 

Because as soon as Bruce had come to this realization, he found himself staring straight into the eyes of Selina Kyle. 

She stood at the other end of the room adorned in a long, black shimmering dress watching him. Bruce’s mind went completely blank and he found himself loose complete control. The cup in his hand had fallen to the ground, spilling some of remnants of his drink on the marble floor. But he didn’t care, he didn’t care about anything except that woman standing across the room watching him while she slowly swirled a drink in her hand. 

“Bruce.” He looked away for a heartbeat at Alfred’s voice, then quickly looked back at where she had stood. He panicked for a moment when he saw the spot empty, was he imagining her? Maybe he’d truly gone insane. “Bruce, are you alright?” 

“Yes, If you’ll excuse me.” He said absently, still scanning the crowd.

Then he saw her, walking towards one of the exits. He watched as she looked over her shoulder, casting him a purposeful glance, before disappearing through the door.

He knew where she was going.

Just like she knew he would follow her up there. 

He quickly made his way through the crowd, offering a few quick words with people that stopped to congratulate him, before he made his way to the hall outside the door he’d last seen Selina walk through. Grabbing onto the railing next to the stairs, he ran up, his mind only on who was waiting for him at the top. He pulled open the door to the roof slowly, before looking out over the space, desperate searching for even a slight flicker of movement. He didn’t have to look that hard to spot her standing on the ledge of the roof like she had been 10 years before, when he’d told her he was in love with her, and where she’d told him to leave. 

Her arms were spread out, trying to balance herself as she walked across the ledge as if she were on a tightrope. A strange sense of dejavu passed over Bruce and he let himself smile from the memory when they had just been children, back then they were younger, running to each other on the top of rooftops or coming in through windows in the late hours of the night. Back then things had been simpler, of course not as simple as most children their age. They’d both gone through immense trials of pain and agony at their beginnings, and the pain continued to follow them, so of course things would never be simple for them. Nothing ever would be.

She turned her head to look over at him now, Bruce could barely see her through the darkness, just the curls and her green eyes that felt like they were burning a hole right through him. He slowly pulled himself up onto the ledge, his eyes staying on hers like hers stayed on his. He could see her better now, the light from the other building casting a small glow on them. She looked different, though her hair remained mostly the same, the curly brown strands reaching her shoulders. He could see more in her eyes now, see that maturity, the strength. She’d really grown into a woman. Of course she was also taller, her heels helped with that, but she still remained shorter than him. 

“Selina.” He murmured. 

“Took you long enough.”

He let himself smile for a moment. He took for granted saying her name and receiving an answer. Her voice had grown sharper, older too, he didn’t know how else to describe it. 

“You know, when I made you promise to come back, I didn’t mean in a decade.” She said, a slight smile on her face, “I thought maybe more along the lines of going to your home in Switzerland for a week, then bring me back a snow globe.” 

He tried to say something, anything. Because he should’ve said something to the woman he’d been in love with for his entire life. 

But she wasn’t the same person that he left behind. 

So he remained silent, not knowing the right words to say in the moment.

“Cat got your tongue?” 

“You look nice.” He said abruptly, the first actual sentence that managed to form in his mind. 

She raised an eyebrow, probably thinking that would not be the first thing she heard come out of his mouth after ten years. She laughed a little, before walking closer to him. 

“Oh no,” she said slowly, her eyes brightening a fraction, “you’re not still in love with me, are you?” The corner of her lip was slightly turned up, like she was trying to fight a smile. 

He let himself smile a little before turning his head for a second to look down at the street below. He turned back to look at her and realized the brightness he’d seen in her eyes a moment before had disappeared, quenched by a darkness and Bruce felt a chill run down his spine. 

“Selina-”

“Save it.” She murmured, shaking her head. Her chest was rising and falling faster as if she were trying to catch her breath. She tore her eyes away from his gaze, looking out across the city below them. Her eyebrows were drawn together and it looked as if she was in a struggle with something, before she turned back to look at Bruce.

“One year Bruce,” she said slowly, “one year was how long it took for me to realize you were never coming back.”

She laughed a little at a joke that Bruce didn’t understand, before starting again.“Every passing year it started to sink in further that maybe it wasn't just you wanting to never come back, but something else was stopping you. After the fifth year, I thought that believing that you’d died was better than believing that you’d never wanted to come back, that I-” she pointed towards herself before dropping her hands back to her sides, her eyes starting to appear to be glowing but Bruce knew it wasn’t from the light reflecting in them. 

“That I wasn’t worth enough for you to come back.”

Bruce felt the air from his lungs dissipate leaving him breathless, complete sadness taking over him. She really thought she wasn’t worth it, that she wasn’t worth everything to him. He desperately wanted to reach for her, he wanted her to know that he’d wanted to come back. God, how he wanted to come back to her. But the time wasn’t right, he had to become who he had to become to come back and take of her and the city. He wasn’t able to take care of her last time, he wanted to now. He didn’t want to fail like all the other times she’d gotten hurt because of his incompetence. 

“Imagine my surprise, when I heard that the Wayne Tower was having it’s grand opening and none other than the great Bruce Wayne was coming back to Gotham to see the event unfold himself.” She said, the sarcasm dripping from her words. “He wasn’t coming back for poor Selina, he was coming back to open up his building then disappear again. That’s what you’re doing right?” she asked, raising her eyebrows, a small smile on her face devoid of any happiness, just pain. “You’re going to show up, tell me you loved me and then leave again, just like my mother.” She said slowly. 

She was breathing heavier than before, like what she’d just said had been pent up inside of her for so long, and letting it out had physically exhausted her. 

He tried to speak but she raised a hand, shaking her head. 

“I was here completely in love with you despite the pain you’ve put me through and I kept that small bit of hope that you’d be coming back soon. That I would only have to wait a little while before you’d be by my side again. I kept that hope despite knowing that you’d probably forgotten about me and you’d moved on while I hadn’t. I was so blind, Bruce.” She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself, “So damn blind to the fact that you could be someone that would forget about me, that you could be someone that could stop caring, and I really believed with all my soul that you weren’t.”

“Selina.” He said loudly, her speaking abruptly stopped as she gazed at him, a questioning look in her eyes still filled with anger. 

“There hasn’t been a day that’s passed in the last ten years where I haven’t thought about you. Where I haven’t missed you so excruciatingly that I actually felt physical pain.” He stopped for a moment, his emotion almost taking over his words. “There hasn’t been a day where I haven’t stopped loving you. Because I haven’t Selina, I never will. Ever.”

She was staring up at him now, her eyes widened a fraction before she regained her rigid stance, watching him with guarded eyes. 

“But I had to go, you knew that before, you have to know that now. I had to become someone that could come back to this city and keep it safe.” He looked back over at the horizon, the sun had slowly started to rise now. “I had to know I would be able to keep you safe.”

He could still feel her eyes on him, but when he looked up the original fire he’d seen before had slowly been extinguished. She just looked tired now, exhausted, like the conversation had taken a toll on her. 

“Your idea of keeping me safe is training for ten years, then coming back and reappearing as Gotham’s new masked vigilante?” She asked.

He froze, his jaw dropping, “how-” 

“You really didn’t think I’d be able to recognize you?” She asked, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly. 

Realization began to dawn on Bruce as he watched the smile on her face begin to grow. She could read his face so well. Bruce desperately tried to rake his mind, he’d known suddenly that he’d recognized something about her in someone else. But before he could completely process her words, she begin to speak again. 

“Just like you had to become someone, I had to become someone too.” She said, watching him. “I had to protect myself, Bruce, because I had no one else to do it for me. I turned my weakness into strength like you had. Losing the people you love can change you. Changed you for the better, but I’m not sure about me yet. I guess we’ll just have to see.” She said.

The sunrise had cast a glow across her face, brightening her already glowing eyes, and it looked as if her curls were on fire. She looked even more perfect than Bruce had ever imagined. He’d now found himself more transfixed by her than he’d ever had in his entire life. 

“I swear to you, Selina,” he said, walking closer to her, his eyes flickering across her face trying to process her entirety, terrified that maybe this was all a dream, and this would be his last memory of her. “I will never leave you again.”

Her eyes widened a fraction, before she continued to stare at Bruce, her eyes hesitantly watching to see if she could notice any dishonesty in his words. Any faltering on his part, and she would run, like she had before. 

“So you’re really here to stay, huh?” She asked.

“Yes.” He replied, quietly. 

“Well, then I’ll be expecting a snow globe from where ever the hell you’ve been the next time I drop by your window. Or maybe you could just hand it to me on one of your late night escapades the next time I’m stealing more of the citizen’s money.” She said, a small smile making its way on her face.

His heart stopped for a moment as he began to process her words, and realization dawned on him.

“You-”

“Don’t worry, I threw a few dollars of the side of the building, for old times sake.” She said. 

He let himself laugh, something he hasn’t been able to do for years. And she laughed a little along with him. They stopped after a moment, looking at each other. Really looking at each other. 

Before he could even process that she’d gotten closer to him, he felt her lips press slightly his cheek before she slowly pulled away, her eyes flickering across his face, settling on his lips a few times. She smiled slightly watching Bruce stare at her in amazement. 

“Welcome back to Gotham, Bruce Wayne.” 

He blinked one moment and the next she was gone. He quickly looked over the side of the building to see her leaping off the edges of one fire escape to the other before landing down on the sidewalk below, disappearing in the shadows of the adjoining alley. 

He closed his eyes, breathing in the city air for a moment. He didn’t stop the grin now spread across his face, he didn’t even stop the joy filled laugh that came next. Turning his head to watch the sun continue to rise on a new day in Gotham, something awakened in Bruce in that moment, something that had been dormant for the past decade. 

Hope.


End file.
